Switch-plug lock.



H. BUTZ. SWITCH PLUG LOCK. APPLICATION FILED APR.3,1913.

1,116,561. Patented Nov.10,1914.

2 SLETSWSHBET 1.

/llllllllll Halley Bui?.

H. BUTZ.

SWITCH PLUG LOCK. APPLIGATION FILED APR,3,1913.

1,1 16,561. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

2 SHEETS*SHEBT 2.

CMH .7.

HALLEY BUTZ, OF ALBION, INDIANA.

SWITCH-PLUG LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1o, 1914.

Application ined April s, 1913A seri/a1 No. 758,681.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, HALLEY BUTZ, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Albion, in the county of Noble and State of Indiana, have`invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Plug Locks; and I do-declare the following to be a full. I ear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in locking devices for switch plugs of motor vehicles.

One object of the invention is to provide` a. locking device of this character byvmeans of which a switch plug may be locked when disengaged from its socket and partly retracted, thus obviating the necessity of entirely removing the plug, at the same time preventing a'n unauthorized person from inserting the plug and connecting up the switch. l

Another object is to provide a combination locking device for switch plugs which may be changed when desired to form different combinations.

A further Objectis to provide a plug locking device for electric switches which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, eliicient and. reliable in operation and which may bc applied to the plugs of any motor `vehicle or other form of electric switch.

With these and other objects in view7 the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a motor vehicle switch having my improved plug locking mechanism applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section thereof showing the switch plug retracted or disengaged rom its contact device and fastened in a retracted position by my improved locking mechanism; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the plug projected or engaged with the Contact device of the switch; Fig'. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail per*- spective of the inner side of the outer loci-'.- ing disk of the device; Fig. 6 is an outer side viewy of the inner locking disk ol the device; Fig. 7 is a. perspective view of a, switch plug constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the embodiment of the invention I provide a casing 1 which may be of any suitable shape or design and in the lower portion of which is arranged the usuall coutact terminals 2 and 3 of the circuits leading respectively to the magneto and to the battery of the motor and which are `pro vided with the usual binding screws to which the circuit wires are attached. Arranged in the lower portion of the casing 1 above the terminals 2 and 3 is the usual plug socket 4 which is formed in two parts separated and insulated from each other by embedding the same in spaced recesses formed in the base or back plate of the casing or in any other suitable manner. To one member of the socket 4 is pivotally connected the usual switch lever which eX- tends downwardly and has its lower end projecting through a slot in the lower end ol the casing and provided with a knob or handle 6 whereby the switch is operated.

.In the other member of the socket 4 is arranged ay binding screw7l 7 to which the. ground wire of the circuits is connected. The foregoing parts may be of the usual or any approved construction and do not form a part of the present invention which applies to means for locking the plug 8 for connecting the members of the socket in a retracted position and thus positively preventing the completion of either of the electric circuits and obviatin'g the necessity of entirely removing the plug from the switch as is usually done to prevent tampering with the switch and starting of, the motor by unauthorized persons.-

The plug 8 comprises a metallic inner body portion 9 which is preferably cylindrical and has its outer end reduced to form a stop shoulder 10 and a shank 11. The shank 11 projects through and has a sliding engagement in an aperture 12 formed in the outer plate of the casing 1 in line with the center of the socket 4. On -the outer end of the shank 11 is secured an opcrating knob or handle 12 formed of suitable insulating or non-conducting material. The shank 11 of the plug is of sullicient length to permit the latter to be projected into the socket at thereby forming an electrical connection between the two members or sections of the socket whereby when the switch lever 5 is swung into engagement with the terminals 2 and 3 of the magneto and battery circuits, said circuits will be completed. Formed in the-body 9 of the plug and spaced apart to a suitable distance are annular grooves 13 and 14 with which when t'he plug is in al retracted and inoperative position are adapted to be engaged locking disks 15 and 16 hereinafter described.`

The disks 15 and 16 are inthe form of circular plates which are mounted on and insulated from an operating shaft 17 revolubly mounted in bearing apertures formed in the upper portion of the front and rear plates of the casing 1 as shown. The disk 15 is keyed or otherwise fixedly mounted 'on' the shaft 17 while the disk 16 is loosely mounted thereon but is prevented from moving longitudinally by any suitable means commonly employed for this purpose in permutation locks. Sleeves 11 and 12 disposed on the shaft 17 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 may be employed to prevent longitudinal movement of the loose disk. The outer end of the shaft 17 projects through the front plate of the casing and has fixed thereto a milled head 18 and an indicating disk 19 having thereon an annular series of numerals or other indicating characters vwhich are designed to co-act with an indicating mark 20 on the outer side of the front plate of the casing whereby the position of the locking disks 15 and 16 may oe determined.

At a suitable point in the edge of the disk 15 is formedja semi-circular notch 21 while at a suitable position in the periphery of the disk 16 is formed a similar notch 22. In the disk 15 is also formed an annular series of threaded circular apertures 23 with one of which is adapted to be engaged a short stud 24 which projects from the inner side of the disk 15. In the disk 16 is also formed a series of threaded apertures 25 with one of which is adapted to be engaged a short stud 26 which projects from the outer side of said disk and rin the path of movement of the stud 2ten the disk 15. The locking disks 15 and 16 are of such size and are mounted in such position in the upper portion of the casing 1 that the lower edges of the disk will engage the grooves 13 and 14 in the plug 8 when the latter is ina retracted position and out of engagement with the socket and will hold the plug in'this position until the disks are turned to a position wherein the notches 21'and 22 therein are fin Line with the iplugiiatwhich .time ,the

said casing,

latter may be projected into the socket or retracted therefrom as will be readily understood. By thus constructing and arranging the locking disks 15 and 16 it will be seenqthatthey may be turned by the knob 18 to bring the notches therein into and out of alinement with the plug 8 and in this operation the inner disk 16 is first adjusted by the outer disk 15. In thus adjusting the inner disk the outer disk 15 is turned until the stud 24 thereof comes into engagement with the stud 26 on the disk 16 whereupon both disks are turned .together until the notch 22 in the disk 16 is brought into alinement with the plug which position will be indicated by the proper numeral or characteron the indicating disk 19 of the knob 18 and the indicating mark 20 on the casing. After the inner disk 16 has thus been set the outer disk l5 is turned in a reverse direction until the notch 21 in this disk has been brought into alinement with the plug, whereupon the latter will be released and may be projected into the socket 4. It will be understood that the positions of the studs 24 and 26 and the notches 2L and 22 in the disks 15 and 16 are adjusted with respect to each other and the relative positions of these parts noted so that the numerals or characters on the disk -19 of the knob will indicate to the person knowing the combination the position of the notches in the disks with respect to the plug. It will also be understood that by changing the positions of the studs 24 and 26 in the threaded apertures of the disks that the combinations of the locking mechanism may be changed whenever desired.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with1 the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of t-he advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

A switch of the character described comprising a casing, therein, a nona-conducting shaft revolubly mounted and transversely disposed within disks carried by said shaft, one of said disks being other loose, coacting means on the disks to cause the fixed one to move the other, a switch plug slidably mounted in said casing below the shaft therein and in alinement with the plug socket thereof, said switch plug having therein two adja'centlyV disposed channels, which receive the edges of said disk, and retain the plug in its. retracted position; said disks having-notches a plug socket disposed A fixed to the shaft, the

formed in their peripheries, which when In testimony whereof I have hereunto set brought into nlinement below said shaft my hand in presence of two subscribing 10 dsongage aid (hanlnels anc permit the rewltnessea traction o sai u an an o rating Y f 5 knob on the shaftpof gsaid disk an having HALLEX BUT' thereon characters which indicate the rela.- Witnesses: tive position of the notches in said disks Lwrn J. BAILEY, with respect to said plug. Gmo. O. ComoN.

Genies d this potent nq be obtained to: he out: uch. by dressing the Commluionar o! Patents, 'unam D. 0." 

